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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: racket · lash · fork · temple · cap · ball · stick · pitcher

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. cap — of ice
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. fork — in a road
  17. ball — a dance
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. ball — a great time
  20. cap — a hat
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. cap — a lid
  24. stick — a piece of wood

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com